Description
Transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into delicious and creative tacos with this flavorful recipe featuring turkey, cranberry slaw, stuffing croutons, and a rich chipotle-chocolate gravy sauce. Perfect for a quick, festive meal that repurposes your holiday favorites into a new culinary delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Slaw
- 2 Tbsp. leftover cranberry sauce
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 1/2 limes, divided
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
- Kosher salt, to taste
Toasted Nuts and Seeds
- 1/4 cup leftover nuts and/or seeds (such as sesame seeds, peanuts, pecans, or spiced nuts)
Stuffing
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup leftover stuffing, finely chopped
Gravy Sauce
- 1 cup leftover gravy
- 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 1 tbsp. adobo sauce
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped dark chocolate
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded dark meat turkey
- 10 to 12 warm corn tortillas
- Chopped craisins, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together the leftover cranberry sauce, chopped fresh parsley, mayonnaise, and juice of 1 lime until well combined. Add the thinly sliced cabbage and toss until evenly coated. Season the slaw with kosher salt to taste and set it aside to marinate the flavors.
- Toast Nuts and Seeds: Heat a large dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leftover nuts and/or seeds, swirling the pan and tossing frequently for about 2 to 3 minutes until they become fragrant and start turning golden brown. Transfer the toasted nuts and seeds to a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Stuffing Croutons: Wipe out the skillet to remove any residual bits. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the finely chopped leftover stuffing and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
- Blend the Gravy Sauce: In a blender, combine the leftover gravy, chipotle chiles with their adobo sauce, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, juice of the remaining 1/2 lime, and the toasted nuts and seeds. Blend until the sauce is smooth and well incorporated.
- Cook the Turkey in Sauce: Wipe out the skillet again and pour in the blended sauce. Add the roughly chopped dark chocolate and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute until the chocolate has melted completely. Add the shredded dark meat turkey, stirring gently to separate the shreds and warm the meat through, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Assemble the Tacos: Warm the corn tortillas. To build each taco, layer with the warm turkey mixture, a generous spoonful of cranberry cabbage slaw, crispy stuffing croutons, chopped craisins, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Serve the tacos alongside lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the nuts and seeds with your favorites or whatever you have leftover.
- If you prefer a milder sauce, reduce the amount of chipotle chiles or omit the adobo sauce.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure your stuffing and gravy do not contain gluten ingredients.
- These tacos can be prepared with white or dark turkey meat depending on your preference.
- Leftover leftovers from other sides can be added or swapped to customize your tacos.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 3 tacos)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
